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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635027">Surprise, Captain!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/allixiler/pseuds/allixiler'>allixiler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Outer Worlds (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Pregnancy, Sexual References</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:54:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/allixiler/pseuds/allixiler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Captain might be pregnant...how will she tell her lover?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Captain &amp; Maximillian DeSoto, Female Captain/Maximillian DeSoto, Maximillian DeSoto/Reader, The Captain/Maximillian DeSoto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Surprise, Captain!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She was always very vigilant and careful about this sort of thing pre-hibernation. She knew the risks and knew how drastically her life would change if she suddenly had a child to take care of. Not that she didn’t want a child; quite the opposite in fact. It was just that she wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility at that age, nor did she want it.</p><p>Truthfully, sex (more specifically, the chances of pregnancy) wasn’t really her first concern when she was awoken by Phineas from the Hope. She definitely had much more on her plate than that. She knew it would happen at some point or another. She just didn’t expect it to be with anyone from her beloved crew. </p><p>It didn’t take long for Vicar Max to end up in the Captain’s bed. They had chemistry from the very beginning and it was only a matter of time before they finally crashed together. Their relationship was bliss. She was the happiest she had ever been. It wasn’t until one morning that began the first bump in their relationship.</p><p>She woke up that morning much later than usual. So much later, in fact, that she was the last one to get up to begin the day. She had been awfully fatigued the last week or so, but had brushed it off due to the fact that they had been going hard for the last few months. She exited her room and walked up the stairs into the kitchen to see her crew scattered about. Her eyes directed to Max instinctively, her heart warming at the sight of him. He was sitting at the table with a book in his hands. She watched as his eyes scanned every word of each page, his brows furrowed in thought and focus. He finally caught her gaze, offering a slight smile with a twinkle in his eye.</p><p>Felix was the first to announce her entrance;</p><p>“Mornin’, Boss!” He chirped.</p><p>She grinned at his enthusiasm, offering a small wave;</p><p>“Good morning, everyone.” She greeted.</p><p>“You sure slept late.” Ellie noted from the other side of the kitchen.</p><p>Ellie and Nyoka were the most observant of the crew. They always could tell when something was up. There wasn’t much that got past them. Ellie had been especially cautious in paying attention to the symptoms the Captain had been having. Ellie had an inkling that the Captain might be pregnant. No one knew that Max and the Captain had been together. That was the one thing they had managed to keep under wraps. Ellie knew better than to ask in front of everyone. </p><p>“Yeah. All this running around is catching up to me.” The Captain explained.</p><p>Ellie nodded silently, but the wheels in her head were turning. Max closed the book in hand, setting it on the table before retrieving a bottle of fizzy tea from the fridge. He poured it into a cup and sweetly offered it to the Captain where she stood at the counter. She accepted it gratefully and raised the cup to her lips. However, the second she caught the familiar mock-apple scent, she felt her stomach become immediately queasy. </p><p>A disgusted groan escaped her lips and she moved the cup away from her. She pressed the back of her hand to her nose and swallowed to keep the threatening bile from coming up from her stomach. Everyone’s heads turned to her at the sound of her gag. </p><p>“You okay, Cap?” Nyoka asked from her place next to Felix.</p><p>Thinking the tea had expired, the Captain asked;</p><p>“How long has this been in there? I think it’s spoiled.”</p><p>Parvati’s light voice chimed in;</p><p>“There’s no way. I just picked those up yesterday. They should be fine for a few weeks!” She claimed.</p><p>Max took the cup back, bringing it up to his own nose. He shrugged;</p><p>“It seems perfectly fine to me. I was under the impression that it was your favorite...” Max replied, feeling like he had been mistaken.</p><p>The Captain shook her head in confusion;</p><p>“It is my favorite. I drink it all the time,” She recalled; “That’s so weird.”</p><p>That was when the idea first came into her head. It was a quick, almost passing thought. There was no way she could be pregnant...right? It was also in that moment that she realized that she and Max hadn’t been using any kind of protection. The thought had never occurred to her honestly. </p><p>Suddenly, she felt nauseous, but not from the smell of the drink. Now was definitely NOT the time for a baby. She had the fate of the colony on her shoulders. How was she going to have the time to grow and raise a child? This was bad. Surely her 70 year hibernation had altered her fertility in some way...there was only one man to ask. </p><p>“You don’t look so good, Cap. You sure you’re okay?” Nyoka asked again, now suddenly having the same thoughts that Ellie was having. </p><p>The Captain smiled briefly, not wanting to make an issue of it. She assured them she was fine before booking it to the navigation terminal. She needed to see Phineas ASAP. A million things were going through her mind. How could she take care of a kid? What scared her more was the question of Max. Would he stick around if she was with his child? </p><p>While the ship was in transit, the Captain meandered around, finding absolutely anything to keep her distracted. She found herself passing by Ellie’s room. If there was anyone she trusted to keep her secret, it was Ellie Fenhill. The Captain knocked lightly on the outside wall, catching Ellie’s attention;</p><p>“Can we talk?” The Captain asked. </p><p>“Uh-oh. The most dreaded sentence in human history. What’s up?” Ellie replied.</p><p>The Captain looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was around. Well, to make sure Felix wasn’t around. He’d tell everyone in the colony if he found out.</p><p>“Did...you ever have much experience with pregnancies when you were in Byzantium?” The Captain questioned.</p><p>Ellie suddenly knew that the Captain had the same concerns she did. Ellie humored her;</p><p>“Oh, sure. Plenty of them,” She clamored; “I see you had your first bout with morning sickness earlier.”</p><p>It was a little bit of a relief to the Captain that Ellie was already picking up what she was putting down. She fully entered the room and closed the door.</p><p>“I don’t even know if it’s that...but I suppose it could be. I’ve got to talk to Phineas and see if it’s even a possibility. You know, with the hibernation and all...” The Captain trailed off.</p><p>Ellie leaned back in the chair she was sitting in;</p><p>“Female fertility is tricky. It can be affected by the smallest of things. I’m willing to bet that you’re fine, but if you’re having symptoms then you definitely need to see what Dr. Welles says,” She suggested; “Also, I feel as if it’s now my business to ask. Whose is it? It’s not like any of us have had any real time to settle down.” </p><p>The Captain’s silence was misconstrued by the foul mouthed sawbones;</p><p>“Oh, shit. You don’t know, do you?” She asked.</p><p>The Captain was quick to respond to that;</p><p>“No, I do...Ellie, I’m serious you can’t say anything if I tell you.” The Captain said almost as a threat.</p><p>Ellie threw up her hands in defense;</p><p>“My lips are sealed.” She promised.</p><p>The Captain drew a deep breath. Here goes nothing.</p><p>“I’ll be honest. Max and I-”</p><p>“I fucking knew it!” She said leaping up from her chair; “I knew the two of you were a thing!”</p><p>The Captain was startled. How could she possibly have known? The two of you had worked so hard to keep things quiet.</p><p>“What? How?” She bantered back.</p><p>“The long looks, the lingering around each other, the way he goes back to his room early in the morning. I knew the two of you were sleeping together!” She exclaimed.</p><p>The Captain would admit, she was amused by this. She’d expect nothing less of Ellie. Still, the Captain still had a huge dilemma on her hands. ADA interrupted their conversation, announcing that they had landed. After what felt like an eternity, The Unreliable was docked at his lab. </p><p>“I need to go. We’ll talk later.” The Captain said, exiting her room. </p><p>She cut through the kitchen to get down to the airlock, but was stopped just as she got to the top of the ladder;</p><p>“You going alone, Boss?” Felix asked standing from the table. </p><p>“Yeah, I won’t be long. I just need to check in with Phineas.” She lied.</p><p>Max entered from his own room;</p><p>“I’m not sure that’s a great idea. I think someone should go with you.” He suggested.</p><p>Normally, this was Max’s way of saying ‘I want to go with you’, but there was no way she wanted Max to be there with her when this went down. Instead of asking Max, she called out;</p><p>“Ellie and Nyoka, let’s go.” </p><p>Ellie and Nyoka appeared quickly and down the stairs, ready to go. The Captain looked at Max, disappointment clear on his face. She shot him an apologetic look before climbing down the ladder. She didn’t even bother gearing up other than making sure she had her pistol on her. She hoped this wouldn’t take long.</p><p>Phineas was in his lab, behind his bullet proof glass as usual. He beamed at the sight of the Captain and her selected crew;</p><p>“Ah! Captain! What can I do for you?” He offered.</p><p>She looked at him with a worried expression;</p><p>“I have some questions...” She stated meekly.</p><p>“Of course. Anything. What’s on your mind?” He asked.</p><p>She looked over her shoulder at Ellie who was watching intently and Nyoka who wasn’t sure what was going on. The Captain didn’t want more people to know about this than necessary. She used her more extensive vocabulary to cloud what she was actually saying.</p><p>“Phineas, would the chemicals used to keep me in suspended animation have any sort of negative impact on my reproductive system?” The Captain asked as eloquently as possible.</p><p>Not surprisingly, Nyoka saw straight through the Captain’s bullshit. Her eyes widened and her voice was loud in the room;</p><p>“Oh, shit! Cap, are you knocked up?” She questioned anxiously.</p><p>The Captain turned to look at her;</p><p>“Nyoka, please.” She begged.</p><p>Ellie jumped on the shot;</p><p>“Just wait until you hear who daddy is.” Ellie snorted with a smirk, looking over at Nyoka with crossed arms.</p><p>“Ellie!” The Captain shrieked.</p><p>“What? Who?!” Nyoka pressed on.</p><p>“Oh, you know. Just The Unreliable’s very own priest.” Ellie spilled.</p><p>Nyoka’s face fell and her jaw dropped;</p><p>“Max? The vicar? Cap, you sneaky bitch!” She smiled brightly.</p><p>The Captain’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, Phineas’ voice cutting in;</p><p>“Captain, I’d be worried if you hadn’t partaken in those kinds of activities. I wasn’t sure how it would have been affected. If pregnancy is a...concern, I can  run a simple test to know for sure.” </p><p>The Captain was overwhelmed. She was stressed from the mission and now suddenly she was terrified that she might be carrying a little one. There was a lot at stake. A baby was not something she was prepared for.</p><p>“So, is it possible...at all?” The Captain replied.</p><p>“Well, there’s no way to accurately tell how your infertility has been affected, but I would venture to say it absolutely is possible.” Phineas responded</p><p>It didn’t take long for Phineas to conduct the test. He made it sound complicated, but really he just took a blood sample to be tested. Sure enough, within a half hour he had the results. The Captain stood in front of him, Ellie and Nyoka at her sides.</p><p>“Good news, Captain!” He shrilled; “I can conclude that your test is negative. You are not pregnant.” </p><p>A collective sigh of relief could be heard from the Captain and the two women next to her. This had been a scare for everyone involved. </p><p>“So, the nausea and fatigue were just coincidences?” The Captain wondered.</p><p>Phineas shrugged;</p><p>“I would say yes. Do understand, side effects will be present for a little while longer. You were frozen for quite awhile.” </p><p>As relieved as the Captain was...she felt the smallest twinge of disappointment in her chest. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had the slightest bit of hoping that she was pregnant. The Captain was already in her 30s and her time to have a kid was now. Within the next five years or so, having a kid wouldn’t have been a wise choice. However, with the way the colony was now, she wasn’t sure that dream would’ve ever been reality.</p><p>She realized something else now. She was going to have to tell Max. They were very honest within their relationship. It was something they had been adamant about since the beginning. She knew that if there had even been a question that she might’ve been pregnant with his child, then he deserved to know. </p><p>They bid farewell to Dr. Welles, finally heading back to the ship. The Captain was unusually quiet for the given circumstances, which was a surprise to Ellie and Nyoka. Neither of them were the ones to pry into business that wasn’t theirs. They knew that the Captain didn’t have to confide in them and that their boundaries of respect should be appreciated. Although, Ellie knew the psychological effects of things like this. </p><p>As the three of them approached the entrance of the ship, Ellie gripped the Captain’s shoulder. </p><p>“You wanted it to be positive, didn’t you?” Ellie asked bluntly.</p><p>The Captain’s hesitance was all Ellie needed as an answer. The Captain’s eyes shifted to her feet and a heavy, sad sigh escaped her chest.</p><p>“No...I don’t know.” She eventually replied.</p><p>She entered the ship first, only closing the airlock once she made sure they were all safely inside. </p><p>“Hey, Cap...” Nyoka’s soothed; “Don’t be so down about it. You’ve still got plenty of years in you.” </p><p>Her words were true, but not any more comforting. Still, the Captain smiled genuinely and thanked them both for being there for her. Nyoka’s statement stuck around with the Captain for several minutes after. Did she really have any time left for a kid? Would she have been better off to have had a child when she was still in her 20s?</p><p>She had lots of questions to consider that would weigh heavily on her conscience for the next little while, but she still had one thing she needed to do. </p><p>She had to tell Max.</p><p>It was fairly late now, far too late in the evening to really go do anything. They’d stay in orbit until in the morning where they would dock at Groundbreaker to get some supplies. The Captain carried herself up the stairs with shaky hands and a pounding heart. She had never had to tell anyone anything like this. How do you simply tell your boyfriend that you’ve just had a pregnancy scare with his child?</p><p>She was unsure of how to approach this. Even worse yet, she had no idea how he’d react. Max was significantly older than her. She didn’t care. He didn’t care. But having a baby in your early 50s is way different than when you’re in your 30s. Would he have even wanted to raise a kid at his age? Would he have left the crew? The Captain was beginning to realize just how many things she would have had to consider if she had actually been pregnant. </p><p>Her room was comfortably warm and even more inviting at the sight of Max stretched out on her bed. He was in a very light sleep, his arm draped over his eyes as he breathed slowly. The book that was haphazardly discarded onto the floor as evidence that he had been waiting up for you. She smiled softly, her eyes raking over his frame. His toned biceps, his fit core, his hair...Law, she had it bad.</p><p>The Captain was quiet as she entered, being careful not to wake him yet. She removed her boots to leave her clad in her socks and soften her footfalls. She picked his book up and smoothed out the pages that had gotten ruffled from being squashed into the floor. She closed it and set it back at the bedside. He always liked to read in the mornings before the Captain woke up. </p><p>She eventually mustered up the courage to wake him. She sat on the very edge of the bed, placing her hand on his shoulder and gingerly shaking him awake. He stirred from his slumber, a little miffed for a moment from being awoken. His mood quickly changed when he saw it was just his stunning captain. He looked up at her from where he lay on her bunk;</p><p>“Captain, you’re back.” He noted.</p><p>She nodded;</p><p>“Yeah. We just got back.” She replied casually, still mapping out how she was going to tell him.</p><p>He sat up from his position, shaking his head quickly to rid his head of it’s haziness. </p><p>“How was Dr. Welles?” He asked curiously.</p><p>She nodded again and offered a somewhat convincing grin;</p><p>“He was fine.” She answered shortly.</p><p>Her brain couldn’t think of anything to say now. At this point, she was at a loss. Truth was, Max had a gut feeling that something was going on. Between her previous reaction to the tea and her refusing his assistance off the ship, he had a notion that something wasn’t right. He had yet to put his finger on it. He leaned his head against the headboard and his hand on her leg.</p><p>“Darling, if I’ve done something to upset you in any way, I would like you to tell me.” He requested.</p><p>The Captain was quick to deny what he was insinuating;</p><p>“Oh, no. You haven’t done anything at all,” She admitted; “I just had some...concerns I needed to air out with Phineas.”</p><p>His curiosity was sparked now. What was she on about?</p><p>“What kind of concerns?” </p><p>She sucked in a breath and looked away at the adjacent wall. This was so much harder than she wanted it to be.</p><p>“Max, I went to Phineas because...I thought I was pregnant.” </p><p>Now, in all his years, Max had heard his fair share of startling things. This topped them all. The Captain watched as he blankly stared back at her for what seemed like forever. Every ounce of color drained from his face as he attempted to process what she had just said. Her heart was beating violently in her ears. She wanted him to say something. Anything at all. Eventually, he gave a very bleak response.</p><p>“Okay.” He replied.</p><p>The Captain froze for a moment before responding;</p><p>“Okay? That’s all you’re going to say?” She asked, slightly annoyed.</p><p>He wasn’t really sure what to say. He hadn’t ever dealt with this before.</p><p>“In my defense, I didn’t expect that at all.” He bantered.</p><p>She figured that was fair. She didn’t exactly break the news easily. Another silence ensued after. She was fighting tears and he desperately racked his brain for something to say. She had been scared and honestly, she was disappointed now. </p><p>“What did he say? Are you?” He asked, biting the bullet.</p><p>She shook her head no, eyes averted to the floor. The color slowly returned to his face and he didn’t feel like he was going to faint anymore. However, he was more worried about her. He watched her intently, studying her expression and behavior. He could tell she was upset about it. He had accepted long ago that kids weren’t probably in his future. Not because he didn’t want them, but he was about a decade past the usual first time parent age. He couldn’t miss something that he never had, right? Truth was, he struggled with it sometimes. He had been so committed to OSI and the Plan that he never settled down with anybody. Before he knew it, his parenting days were long gone by. Now, he felt terrible that she was taking this so hard. </p><p>“It wasn’t something we had ever talked about. Not that we had any reason to,” She sniffed; “I was just so scared. I wasn’t sure it was even possible for me and I didn’t know how you were going to react and-”</p><p>“Hold on,” He interrupted; “Surely you didn’t think I was going to be upset, were you?”</p><p>She shrugged, finally looking at him. Tears were brimming her delicate eyes.</p><p>“I wasn’t sure. A kid is a big responsibility.” She admitted.</p><p>He sat up to where he closer to her;</p><p>“Of course, but I wouldn’t think any less of you. I wouldn’t just disregard you that way. I assure you of that.” He confessed.</p><p>He noted that she didn’t exactly have a moment of relief at what he was saying. There was something bigger going on. Sure, she was comforted that he was unhesitatingly willing to stick around like that, but suddenly that wasn’t the hard part of this endeavor.</p><p>“Something tells me that’s not completely what you’re occupied with,” He astutely claimed; “What’s really going on?”</p><p>“There was just a little sliver of hope that maybe I was...” She blurted.</p><p>His eyes shifted to the nearest wall for a moment and he nervously shuffled his feet. This wasn’t a conversation he ever thought he would have. He was unprepared, and surely didn’t want to say the wrong thing.</p><p>“Well, that’s perfectly normal.” He stated.</p><p>“Is it?” She questioned; “How could I possibly miss something I never had?” </p><p>He breathed out a short laugh. He knew that feeling all too well.</p><p>“It’s not as insane as it sounds. It can be rather easy to fall in love with the idea of something and forget it isn’t actually true. Though I doubt that offers you any sort of comfort.” He rubbed her leg.</p><p>She didn’t speak for a while. He used this time to attempt to persuade her.</p><p>“I can see you’re disappointed, and rightfully so. But would you really have wanted to raise a child?”</p><p>The tears she had been fighting finally slid down her cheeks, a heartfelt confession escaping before she even had a chance to process it.</p><p>“I wanted to raise a child with you.” </p><p>His eyes went wide at that. He was stunned. He didn’t realize just how much she wanted this. He hated to disappoint her, because at the end of the day, he was the part of the equation that made it impossible. Sure, raising a kid on a ship in the middle of space was challenging. However, the real kicker was the fact that his days of having a kid were long gone, realistically. </p><p>She was trying to pull herself together. She wasn’t making it any easier on him by making him feel bad about. That wasn’t her intent to make him feel bad about something that wasn’t his fault.</p><p>“[Y/N], I...” He struggled to find the right words; “I’m sorry.”</p><p>She shook her head, wiping away the tears that made her feel so vulnerable. At least they reminded her that it was okay to feel this way sometimes. She couldn’t be her best all the time.</p><p>“It’s not your fault. I’ll get over it soon enough,” She said; “I love you, and I’m lucky to be spending my life with you.” She said shakily.</p><p>He held her hand to his face, kissing her overworked skin. This wasn’t how he wanted tonight to go. But he knew that not every evening with her could end blissfully perfect. That was something he had gotten far too used to.</p><p>“I love you, Captain. Baby or no baby.” He kissed her forehead now.</p><p>She moved to snuggle next to him, still trying to stop her crying. Every trembling breath she took made his heart sink a little more. He knew she’d be okay with time. She’d come to terms with it and they’d live their normal lives. But for now, she had some healing to do. </p><p>And he’d be there for her every step of the way.</p>
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